Cable cutter



Feb. 18, 1958 A. A. KIRCHNER CABLE CUTTER Filed July 1, 1957 INVENTOR;

United States Patent This invention relates to improvements in cable cutters and pertains more particularly to improvements of the type wherein a conventional hydraulic hand pump and piston and cylinder assembly are utilized in conjunction with modifications thereto for the purpose of providing an assembly which is capable of cutting electrical cables of a relatively large size.

At the present time, the usual method employed in severing electrical cables and more particularly those of large size is to utilize a hack saw. This entails a considerable amount of effort on the part of the electrician and is, moreover, extremely awkward under some circumstances, particularly when there is little maneuvering space or, for example, when the cable is to be cut at or near a junction box.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide an improved cable cutting device employing conventional hydraulic motion transmitting mechanism capable of exerting considerable force to effectively and cleanly cut cables of large diameter.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a cable cutting assembly of the character described incorporating mechanism permitting the assembly to be quickly adjusted to cables of various diameters.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved cable cutting assembly employing an axially movable rod element having an anvil thereon within which a cable may be seated and cooperating with a stationary blade element toward which the anvil is movable under the action of the hydraulic mechanism and there being adjustable means to vary the initial position of the blade member so as to initially place it closer or further away from the anvil to accommodate cables of various diameters.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a cable cutting assembly in conformity with the foregoing object wherein the anvil member incorporates a slotted portion within which the blade is received as the anvil is moved into engaged relationship with the blade and there being a flaring opening leading into such slotted portion from the side of said anvil opposite the blade to prevent clogging of the assembly with wire, insulation or the like.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view partly in section, showing a conventional hydraulic pump and pressure exerting assembly modified in accordance with this invention and illustrating the same in position for cutting a large'diameter cable;-

2,823,454 Patented Feb. 18, 1958 Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the anvil and blade assembly attached to the pressure exerting mechanism of the hydraulic system;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the plane of section line 3-3 in Fig. 1 and showing details of the anvil assembly; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section taken substantially along the plane of section line 4--4 in Fig. 1 and showing the adjusting mechanism for accommodating for various sizes of cables.

Referring at this time more particularly to Fig. 1, reference numeral 10 indicates in general a hydraulic pumping assembly which embodies an elongate body portion 11 forming a reservoir for hydraulic fluid and within which is formed a cylinder cooperable with a piston member, not shown, which is reciproc-ated by the handle element 12 to pump fluid from the reservoir. through the outlet fitting 13 of the assembly and through the flexible pressure transmitting line 14. Such assemblies are entirely conventional and may take different forms but usually embody the essential elements enumerated above. In the particular assembly shown, the handle 12 is pivoted to the upper end of the body 11 by means of a link element 15 pivotally attached by means of a pin 16 to one end of the handle and also pivotally attached by means of the pin 17 to the body 11, as shown. Closely adjacent the pin 16 so as to achieve a relatively great mechanical advantage, is a second pin 18 by means of which the piston rod 19 is attached to the handle assembly, this piston rod extending through a suitable packing gland 20 within the body 11 and forming a motion transmitting means for the piston assembly within the body so as to pump the hydraulic fluid contained therein outwardly through the outlet nipple 13 and through the pressure line 14.

Operating in conjunction with the assembly 10 is the motion transmitting or pressure exerting mechanism indicated generally by the reference character 21 which is also of conventional construction insofar as it includes an outer body portion 22 within which a cylinder is formed and having a piston reciprocable within such cylinder. The body 22 is provided with an inlet nipple 23 to which the opposite end of the flexible pressure line 14 is connected so that hydraulic fluid under pressure may be forced into the body 22 and act upon the piston therein to reciprocate the same in one direction to exert the desired pressure or transmit the desired motion.

In Fig. 1, reference numeral 24 indicates a specially formed piston rod which is attached to the piston, not shown, operating within the body 22 and which is movable with such piston. In the particular example shown, the relationship of parts is such that when fluid under pressure is forced through the line 14 by the pump assembly 10, the piston rod 24 will be moved axially upwardly in that figure. Usually, some return spring means is utilized in conjunction with the piston within the assembly 21 to return to an initial or normal position when the fluid pressure is released so that in Fig. 1, in the assembly shown, the piston rod 24 would normally assume an initial position wherein it is projected outwardly from the body 22.

As shown most clearly in Fig. 3, an anvil member indicated generally by the reference character 25 is rigidly afiixed to the free end portion of the piston rod 24. The anvil itself may take the form of a generally rectangularly shaped block of metal, such as steel, having a substantially flat inner face 26 provided intermediate its ends with a transverse semi-circular groove 27 so as to form a seat for the cable, such groove 27 being disposed in relation to face toward the assembly 21. Adjacent one end of the anvil 25 and extending perpendicularly to the inner face 26 thereof is a cylindrical bore 28 snugly receiving the piston rod 24, as shown, and to retain the anvil'in position against rotation with respect to the piston rod 24, a transverse bore 29 is provided which extendsthroughthe anvil and the piston rod 24 and which receives a retaining pin 30, as shown;

The piston rod 24 is providedwith alongitudinally extending keyway 31 and theinner face 1260f the anvil is provided with a slot 32 which extends inwardly of such face and merges smoothly with the keyway 31, as is shown most clearly in Fig. 3. The purpose of the slot 32, as will be presently described, is to receive the blade element with which the anvil is cooperable for cutting the associated cable.

To fix the anvil against longitudinal movement relative to the piston rod24, a retaining nut 33 is disposed on the threaded end portion of the latter, see Fig. 1, and on the oppositeside of the anvil is provided a retaining collar 34 which is fixed on the piston rod by means of a set screw 35, as shown. Thus theanvil is sandwiched between the retaining nut 33 and the retaining collar 34.

Slidably engaged'upon an intermediate portion of the piston rod 24 is a generally rectangular carrier member 36 which is provided with a transverse bore 37 which adapts it for sliding fixed engagement with the piston rod 24. The carrier 36 is provided with a slot 38 opening from the inner face 39 thereof and extending into intersecting relationship with the transverse bore 37 and which is aligned with the keyway 31 in the piston rod 24. The slot 33 receives an edge portion of a blade element 49 and an adjacent edge portion 41 of such blade projects into and seats within the keyway 31 in the piston rod and serves to retain the carrier member 36 on the piston rod and prevents rotation of the carrier member thereon. The cutting edge 42 of the blade is that edge which is opposite to the edge received within the slot 38 and which is projectable into the slot 32 in the anvil 25, previously described. Preferably, the cutting edge 42 is disposed at a slight angle with relationship to the inner face'26 of the anvil so as to provide a better cutting action as will be evident.

The blade 40 is rigidly afiixed to the carrier 36 by means of the Allen set screw elements 43 and 44 as shown in Fig. 1. In this manner, with the blade 40 being rigidly affixed to the carrier 36, the inner edge 41 of the blade is positively maintained within the keyway 31 of the piston rod 24 so that the carrier is guidably engaged with the rod and is maintained in one position relative thereto.

In use, the hydraulic pressure is relieved from the system and for this purpose, there is usually provided a relief valve 45 on the pump assembly 14) and when such pressure is relieved, the pistonrod 24 will be extended its full extent from the body of the assembly 21 so that the position of the parts relative to each other is such as that illustrated in Fig. 1. The cable C is placed in the trough or groove 27 in the inner face of the anvil 25 and the carrier with blade attached is slid down into engagement with the opposite side of the cable, as shown. Since the action of the device is such that the piston rod 24 is retracted when the pump assembly is actuated, and it is desirable to accommodate for several sizes of cable C, the length of the piston rod 24 and the position of the anvil 25 thereon with relation to the body 22 is such as to accommodate for a relatively wide gap between the cutting edge 42 and the inner face 26 of the anvil 25. In order to initiate the cutting action on the cable almost as soon as the pump assembly 10 is actuated, a spacer element 46 is provided to fill the gap between the carrier 36' and the shoulder 47 of the body 22. This spacer, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, consists of a generally U-shaped body 48 which snugly straddles the piston rod 24 and is of a width sufficient to position the blade 40 against the outer surface of the that the width of the spacer be such as to cause the blade to initially slightly bite into the insulation of the cable. By providing several different widths of spacers, differ ent sizes of cables can be accommodated for rapidly and with little or no slack being present in the assembly such that when the pump 10 is actuated, the blade 40 immediately begins to cut through the cable.

To prevent clogging of theanvil groove 32, the same extends through to-the opposite face of the anvil in the region of the groove or trough 27. This is most clearly illustrated in .Figs. 1,3. and. 4 wherein it will be seen that. the. continuation 49 of the groove 32 flares outwardly from the bottom of the groove 32 so as to present the least amount of obstruction to the material building up therewithin as occasioned by the blade slicing through the cable assembly.

It will be readily appreciated that the use of the invention as hereinbefore described permits cables of relatively large diameter to be quickly and easily cut and, moreover, the jaw-like formation of the anvil and carrier members permits the tool'to be utilized in close quarters and to reach into relatively inaccessible places for the purpose of servering the cable at the desired place. Since the hydraulic assembly with which the invention is utilized achieves a very great mechanical advantage, the physical operation and effort involved in severing the cable is negligible ascompared to the conventional method of severing such cables which involves the use ofa hand saw.

I claim:

1. A cable cutter comprising a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly including a piston rod projecting therefrom and movable axially toward the cylinder, an anvil member, a carrier member, means fixing one of said members to the piston rod adjacent to the free end of the latter, means for mounting the other one of said members on said piston rod adjacent to said cylinder and for sliding movement with respect to the piston rod, a cutter blade fixed to said carrier member in opposed relationship to said anvil member whereby when the said one member is moved toward the cylinder said cutter blade will be disposed in the path'ofmovement of the anvil.

2. A cable cutter assembly comprising a hydraulic piston and cylinder mechanism and a hydraulic pump operatively connected thereto, said piston and cylinder assembly including a piston rod projecting therefrom and movable, under the influence of said pump, to an axiallywithdrawn position, an anvil fixed to said piston rod adjacent the free end thereof and having a transverse groove therein adapted to seat acable, a carrier member slidably disposed on said piston rod, a cutter blade fixed to said carrier member and having anedge portion thereof cooperable with a groove in'said piston rod to prevent rotation of the cutter blade and carrier member relative to the piston rod, said anvil having a slot therein extending transversely of said groove and substantially radially of said piston rod and adapted to receive said cutter blade therein when said piston rod is moved to its axially withdrawn position to sever a cable engaged in said groove in the anvil.

3. A cable cutter assembly comprising a hydraulic piston and cylinder including a piston rod normally projecting therefrom and movable to an axially withdrawn position, a hydraulic pump connected to said piston and cylinder assembly for actuating said piston rod, an anvil fixed to said piston rod adjacent the free end thereof and having a transverse semi-circular groove therein for receiving a cable, said anvil also having ,a slot therein extending transversely to said groove, a carrier member slidably received on said piston rod, a cutter blade fixed to said carrier member and having an edge portion'extending into a keyway in said piston rod whereby the carrier member is non-rotatably associated with the piston rod, said cutter blade being receivable in said slot in the anvil when the piston rod' is moved to its axially withdrawn position, and

cable C and as a matter of fact, .it may be preferable a spacer member removably positioned on said piston rod between said carrier member and the cylinder is initially engaging said cutter blade against a cable resting within the groove in said anvil.

4. The assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said spacer member comprises a generally U-shaped block snugly received on said piston rod.

5. The assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said anvil is provided with an outwardly flaring opening extending from the bottom of said slot in alignment with said groove to expel foreign material from the anvil.

6. In a cable cutter assembly including a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly having a piston rod extending therefrom, an anvil member fixed to said piston rod adjacent the free end thereto and having a transverse groove in opposed relationship to the cylinder for moving a cable therein, a carrier member slidably received on said piston rod intermediate said cylinder and said anvil, said carrier member having a slot therein facing said anvil, cutter blade having an edge portion received in said slot and having an adjacent edge portion projecting into a keyway extending axially along said piston rod whereby the carrier member is non-rotatably associated with said piston rod, and said anvil having a slot therein for receiving the opposed cutting edge of said cutter blade to sever the cable.

No references cited. 

